


It's The Invisible Scars that Count

by Nightlit



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 14:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5460482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightlit/pseuds/Nightlit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mitsuru and Akihiko think about their pasts as they ride to a party for the various Persona users they know.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's The Invisible Scars that Count

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AceQueenKing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceQueenKing/gifts).



> Takes Place After Persona 4 Arena. Though I don't intend for it to be AU to Ultimax, since I haven't played it it may be incidentally so.

**Some Time After The P-1 Grand Prix – Mitsuru's Limousine**

Mitsuru stared at Akihiko's chest again, aghast. It wasn't that she personally cared what he wore, but she wished he'd had the decency to wear a shirt for everyone else' sake.

“Don't even say it.” He said to her, and she sighed. It said something that she could scold him with a look alone, but that was how close they were. That wasn't the first time she had berated him about it and they both knew it wouldn't be the last.

“I brought you a suit for the dinner tonight.” She said, in a no nonsense tone, but Akihiko glowered at her. He knew she'd get the last word here, and he knew she secretly loved that. It had always been that way between them.

**Some Time Before the Nyx Incident – Iwatodai Station**

“Akihiko, you shouldn't leave yourself open like that.” Mitsuru was holding her hand out to pull Akihiko up off the ground after a fight. He tried to grumble a complaint, but his ribs hurt.

Shinjiro shot him a small smile, “You're still too used to fighting people.” He said.

Mitsuru turned to him, “Do you want me to tell you how many things you did wrong today?” She said in a no nonsense tone.

Shinjiro's smile flattened, “I know.” That's what she liked about Shinjiro. Sure he didn't talk much, even to her, but he communicated well enough. And he listened, even when he pretended not to. Akihiko still had problems with that.

“The Dark Hour is almost over.” Akihiko said, “And just when I was getting worked up to.”

Mitsuru turned to him as she used Dia to heal his wounds, “Sometimes I wonder why I bothered recruiting you. You're going to get yourself killed.”

Akihiko let out a small grin, the first he'd shot her all night. “I haven't been killed yet.”

Mitsuru laughed in spite of herself, “And that's made it worthwhile,” she paused for effect with a teasing grin on her face, “so far.” Despite the banter, Akihiko's grin kind of unnerved her. It wasn't that he never grinned, no he grinned all the time when he was punching his way through shadows, but it was rare for him to grin at a person, and she wasn't sure she wanted to let herself get emotionally close to someone with such a need to put his life at risk. She'd recruited him because she knew he could fight and because he put his all into his training. But she hadn't realized just how reckless he could be. He'd managed to stay alive so far, but there had been a number of close calls.

“There it is.” Shinjiro said as the green and red hue that signified the Dark Hour disappeared from around them. He started walking off shortly after that.

“Same time tomorrow?” Akihiko asked.

Mitsuru shrugged, “Unless the Dark Hour decides to give us a day off.” She'd actually have liked that. Sometimes even Mitsuru Kirijo would like to just be a girly girl instead of the leader of a strike force consisting of kids who really shouldn't be wandering around at night with weapons. But there was nothing to do about that. As long as the Dark Hour and the shadows existed, SEES would be there to fight it.

**Back to the Present**

“I find it endearing.” Fuuka said as she leaned back into her seat.

“Endearing?” Akihiko said in alarm, as if the idea disgusted him.

“Yes Senpai. You're covered in scars, and it's almost like those scars protect you from showing the real you the way clothes could.” Mitsuru had to complement Fuuka. She'd always been perceptive, at least everywhere taste wasn't concerned, but that was exactly how she felt as well. While many would think the clothes covered up the man, in his case the clothes showed way more of him than the scars on his chest ever would. Akihiko was still loath to admit there was more to him than the fighter he portrayed himself as, even to the people who knew better.

“But still. Endearing?” He looked down a bit, the bashful man they knew was under the machismo bubbling to the surface.

“I must say I agree with her. You are more petulant nowadays, like you were back when it was just the three of us.” Mitsuru pointed out.

Akihiko sighed, “He'd think I look ridiculous wouldn't he?”

Fuuka laughed, “Probably, but Shinji-senpai would never say it.”

Shinjiro was a topic of much contention for Akihiko for a long time. He pretended he was over it, for everyone else' sake, but everyone, especially Mitsuru, could see he wasn't. His death had only made it worse. There was a slight reprieve after they'd been stuck repeating that one day in the dormitory, but it was only a matter of time before things came to a head, and of course, they did.

**Iwatodai Dormitory – Sometime Before the P-1 Grand Prix**

“I can't believe they are reopening this place.” Junpei Iori shook his head, “I mean! Don't they realize what we went through!?”

Akihiko rolled his eyes, “Junpei, why would anyone know anything about that?”

Junpei sighed, “Okay okay! It's still weird! I mean, what if the Abyss of Time opens below the dorm again, and what about His room?”

Mitsuru kneaded her forehead. The truth was, she actually agreed with Junpei. It wasn't just that she felt like she had a special connection to this place, Junpei raised some legitimate concerns. While it was true that both Tartarus and the Abyss of Time had been gone for over a year, could they really allow normal students to live here without any Persona users around at all?

Of course, the real problem was that they couldn't tell anyone what happened, and if they did most people wouldn't believe them anyway. Even the people who had been aware while everything was happening had forgotten, everyone except them that is.

And of course, the Iwatodai Dormitory couldn't sit empty forever. There was no good excuse for that, as much as Mitsuru searched her brain for one. The school had expanded and needed to expand its living space, and the Iwatodai Dormitory was already built. She probably should have had the thing demolished after the Abyss of Time incident, but there were too many memories here for her to do that. It was probably all as well regardless. Even if there wasn't a dormitory here, the plot would just be used for something else. She'd just have to make sure that she was vigilant in keeping an eye on the place.

A harsh noise broke her out of her reverie, “We can't let them do this!” Akihiko said, his fist having left a small crack in the second floor wall. Mitsuru sighed, even if it was minor, more repairs was the last thing they needed.

“Akihiko, you know as well as I do there is...”

Akihiko cut Mitsuru off, “This is his room!” He said.

Mitsuru's eyes widened a bit, before Junpei shook his head, “Dude, this wasn't His room. His room was at the end of the hall, don't...” Akihiko just barely managed to keep himself from punching Junpei. “Hey!” Junpei responded before his eyes widened in realization, “Oh... you meant.”

Akihiko turned to Mitsuru, “We can't let them do this! Shinji, Him! All the other people who became shadows! We can't just let anyone in here!”

Mitsuru shook her head at him, “What would you have me do?” She asked simply.

Akihiko stared at her and then shook his head, “Whatever it takes.”

Mitsuru sighed, “Akihiko, we have to let this one go.” Akihiko stormed down the stairs in response. That was the last time they saw Akihiko that year.

**Back to the Present**

Akihiko sighed, “Endearing huh?” He couldn't help but smile inwardly at that. He could lie to a lot of people. Junpei was easy, and he could even get things by Ken and Yukari on occasion, but Mitsuru knew him better than she knew herself and Fuuka, well, Fuuka was getting more and more aware as she grew, which was impressive considering.

Fuuka laughed, “Yes Senpai, endearing.”

Mitsuru shook her head at him again, “I don't see why you see being endearing as a bad thing.”

Akihiko looked away from them bashfully, “It's not that it's bad, it's just not how I want to appear.”

Fuuka nodded, “If it's any consolation, you probably just seem crazy to most people.”

Akihiko burst out laughing, “Crazy or endearing. Well, if those are my two choices...”

Mitsuru handed him the mentioned suit, “I offer you a third option.” She said, the grin that was not on her face obvious to the other two in the car.

Akihiko blushed, “And where am I supposed to change?”

Fuuka laughed, “We won't peek, though you don't have anything we haven't seen. Or did you forget our little trip to the beach?”

Akihiko's laugh was half wistful and half bashful, “I still have those you know.”

Mitsuru raised an eyebrow, “Do they still fit you?”

Akihiko shook his head, “No.” He admitted.

Mitsuru shook her head, clearly amused, “Well, if you'd worn something more appropriate for the occasion you wouldn't be in this situation now would you?”

He turned to her, “And if you'd told me before I got here we were going out to dinner after beating up those shadows I might have worn something different.”

Mitsuru's knowing gaze said it all, “Might have being the key phrase.”

Akihiko didn't bother to argue anymore and instead put his scarf on the seat next to him and took off his belt before taking out the blazer and undershirt Mitsuru handed him. The shirt was white with a tiny bit of frill at the neckline. It was just enough flair to stand out without looking too girly and he inwardly smiled at his friend's impeccable taste. The suit itself was a light almost sky blue and he put it on.

When he looked up Mitsuru was holding up a mirror, “Wow.” He said to himself. He hadn't seen himself wearing nice clothing in a long time. He'd forgotten how different he looked without his scars visible. With his muscles covered up and the frills, he almost looked dainty. Not quite, but almost.

Not really caring if the girls saw his underwear, and knowing they would tease him more if he tried to hide himself than if he just changed right then and there, he quickly took off his pants and put on the nice slacks. A black leather belt and black shoes added a bit of contrast to the otherwise light colored ensemble.

Rather than teasing him, Mitsuru held up the mirror again while Fuuka handed him a comb, “Care to finish?” She asked. Akihiko nodded and in a moment an upscale young man was staring back at him from the mirror.

Mitsuru smiled at him, "I present you complete option number three." Akihiko couldn't help but grin.

It was only a few minutes later when they arrived. Junpei, Ken and Yukari greeted them, while Aigis and Labrys stood to the side watching quietly. The younger Persona users they'd met in Inaba came charging through, one of them slipping and crashing into a garbage can to everyone's amusement.

“So! I have made arrangements for us to have the place to ourselves so we can discuss whatever we want. But this is not a time for business. I wanted this to be a special occasion.” Mitsuru said as she ushered the group into the restaurant.

Akihiko smiled to himself. Somehow he felt his scars more now, and it occurred to him, something Shinjiro had said to him one night in the Iwatodai Dormitory, “Aki, you worry about me too much. The scars you can see are just physical. It's the invisible scars that count.” Akihiko finally understood what he meant. Even the scars on his skin were invisible now, but he felt each and every one of them, and the memories they represent, more clearly than he ever had before.


End file.
